We are a commune of inquiring, skeptical, politically centrist, capitalist, anglophile, traditionalist New England Yankee humans, humanoids, and animals with many interests beyond and above politics. Each of us has had a high-school education (or GED), but all had ADD so didn't pay attention very well, especially the dogs. Each one of us does "try my best to be just like I am," and none of us enjoys working for others, including for Maggie, from whom we receive neither a nickel nor a dime. Freedom from nags, cranks, government, do-gooders, control-freaks and idiots is all that we ask for.

“Lastly, human target games (e.g. dodge ball) and drills that promote aggressive behaviors by attacking and overpowering other humans are not to be permitted,” read the proposed rule prohibiting dodgeball in every nook and cranny of Louisiana’s public schools.

Wouldn't that outlaw football and wrestling as well? Heck, soccer goalies get hit with a ball - does that mean that soccer would be outlawed?

Dodge ball has been banned in our grandchildren's schools in both Missouri and Wisconsin. I can tell you, that as a child I hated dodge ball........being lined up against the playground fence was to me like being put before a firing squad. Most people didn't have a problem with it and I still played, scared to death. But, I don't think it should be banned, like tag and all other fun things children have done in recess in the past. No swing, slides , jungle gyms, or merry-go-rounds. Just what are they to do besides get into trouble harassing each other.

I will never forget our jock, 20-something coaches laughing when nerd kids took direct hits to the face in dodgeball back when I was a kid in Texas public schools in the 1970s.

I didn't understand it at the time, but those loser jerks knew even then that the nerds among us would be making more than them very soon.

I can see scenarios when dodgeball would be abused by coaches with the wrong attitude or by students who didn't obey the rules and had no supervision from adults (which is a whole issue). But you can't make playgrounds safe for every little snowflake. Trying to do so just leads to more problems than it solves.

The Trump administration announced Monday plans to impose duties of up to 24% on most Canadian lumber, charging that lumber companies there are subsidized by the government. Canadian lumber makes up about 30% of the U.S. market.

The tax is expected to hike the price of lumber used in home building by an average of 6%, according to the National Association of Home Builders, the trade group for the U.S. industry.

"For builders, it'll increase the cost of construction by about $3,000 on the average home, which unfortunately will be passed on to consumers,"

I just listened to the story of another time when wild boar had a significant impact on history. It was in the Viking "winter in Paris" in 885. The story is in the latest episode of The British History Podcast: 240 – Viking Roadshow: Rollo edition

QUOTE:

So they sent a demand to King Charles the Fat. They wanted tribute, or they would lay waste to Frankia.

The franks balked because they had only recently paid the army 12,000 pounds of silver to leave the country in peace. The Danes replied that their agreement was to leave the King in peace…and the King had just died. And this is where all those boar safety tips from few episodes back start to make a lot more sense, because the king Sigfred and Sinric made the agreement with was the same one who tangled with a boar and lost (Carloman II, nephew of Judith.. That Judith).

King Carloman II was dead after his pursuit of a pork chop ended in tragedy… and as far as the Danes were concerned, so was the agreement, because they had no such agreement with King Charles the Fat.

But the two Viking leaders weren’t completely unreasonable. They went to Charles the Fat and offered him the same deal they cut with Carloman. Hand over 12,000 lbs of silver, and they would leave him in peace.

And Charles basically said “you can kiss my fat ass.” And the Danes didn’t appreciate that one bit. So they took their fleet and sailed up the Seine.

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